In his first post-season, St. Louis Cardinals third baseman David Freese had a historic performance Wednesday night. The right-handed hitter drove in four runs on a two-run double in the fourth inning and a two-run home run in the sixth to lead the Cardinals over the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 4 of the NLDS, 5-3.

The benefit to the team was clear as the four runs were crucial for the Cardinals to avoid elimination and force a winner-take-all Game 5 in Philly on Friday night.

Individually, it was a memorable night for Freese, as well. He logged one of the top 11 post-season performances in team history as measured in single-game RBI. All alone at number one is Reggie Sanders, who drove in six on October 4, 2005. The others in the top ten were all four-RBI games, now tied by Freese. Perhaps not surprisingly, the Cardinals won all 11 of those playoff games.

Freese might have been able to catch or even pass Sanders on Wednesday, but he left the contest via a double-switch in the top of the seventh inning. As it turned out, the order did not reach his number seven spot again in the game. Even so, Freese is the first player in team post-season history to drive in at least four in just three plate appearances.

Interestingly, Freese’s performance is the fourth of the top 11 from a third-baseman, most by players at any position. He joins Gary Gaetti (1996), Ken Boyer (1964) and the first four-RBI post-season game by a third baseman, Les Bell in Game 6 of the 1926 World Series.

Overall, this list includes the names of some of the most memorable post-season heroes in Cardinals history. Now, Freese will forever be among them.

Top single-game RBI performances, post-season, St. Louis Cardinals team history

41 Responses to “Freese has a night for the record books”

Arizona boys are just cranking/raking……………… I feels like they did us a big favor by holding the Brewers over the fire while we tend to business…….it adds to my enjoyment anyway………they just announced us as the late game……starting at 8:30 eastern………we will know the outcome if the DBack/Brewers game ….so we might be able to celebrate a Milwaukee loss to get in a big game mood ……………..

Man what a great night for David….and the Cards. I give us a coins flips chances tonight which is even money. Anything can happen in a one game playoff.

By the way nice job by Edwin last night after inning one. I thought we would score a few on Roy but I wasn’t sure we could keep them from scoring. Pitching staff did an excellent job of holding them down.

Yeah, Edwin proved his mettle too (kinda wish we had him on contract instead of Westbrooke- nothing against Jake, he seems like a real team player and nice guy, but I think he has slipped a little in performance as he doesn’t have the consistancy he once had). I just think for our 5th place starter next year Jackson would have more upside.

I confess I was questioning not going with Descalso as David was struggling with so many K’s this series, but I am glad they made the decision to start him this game. I should have known better, DF really has made a career of battling back after adversity.

Tongue in the cheek, huh BB? I seriously doubt we try K-Mac starting again…except in an emergency. Been there; done that; didn’t work too well! I’m guessin’ we trade him to a team which will make him a starter.

You might be right about a trade friend. We learned to live without Mac playing a key role in the pen. I also wonder if him getting returned to the pen didn’t sour things a bit. Lynn would probably be a better dark horse.

Same page, double-b! I was extra-impressed with Lynn prior to his oblique or whatever it was he injured.

With Waino back, it’ll be Adam, Chris, Jaime, K-Loh, & Jake. Based upon this season’s showings, I’d prefer we work something out with E-Jackson and trade Westbrook. Much easier said than done, and not likely another team would take’s Jake’s full salary/contract. Likely he’ll remain, and Edwin will move on. But, everybody needs a “#5,” and Westbrook is probably as good as any other #5 out there. Jackson’s probably more of a #3.

But hey…that’s next year. I’m fully focusing on NOW! I can see us being the “last team standing” come Halloween.

Right with you, RC. Anyone who knows this game will admit that Carp is fully capable of out-pitching Halladay on any given night. Not EVERY night, but any given night, and I’m believing tomorrow is that given night! 🙂

Couple that with the fact that I believe Albert is of a mind-set to be the difference-maker tonight. He is definitely due to hit a big HR. It promises to be VERY dramatic baseball…at it’s finest! Can’t wait!!!

Once again, Brian, I admire your and Mr. Orf’s work. One cool factoid I gleaned from the table is how extra-uncommon for Mike Matheny to have driven in four runs without the benefit of even an XBH! All the others had mostly HR’s and/or 2BH’s in the process.

What’s fun about the list is that I remember where I was for some of them. I remember sitting in my car being late for a meeting in Belle Plaine Mn., with the bases loaded waiting for Sanders at bat before I went in. He hit it out and I sped the meeting along as fast as possible.
Caught the rest of the game on the way back.

Here’s something you may appreciate, Westy. I was talking to one of my brothers today. He’s been out in California for about 25 years now so he’s gone kinda soft in the head. He said he went to his doctor for a physical when he turned 50 and was told to get more exercise. So he signed up for a Segway polo league. Says they have a keg on the sideline but its ‘lite’. Couldn’t happen anywhere else. I asked him to put some video on youtube and let me know.

Someplace I saw where a Chicago Trib guy is running a poll with the question Should the Cubs trade Starlin Castro for Theo Epstein? IMO, that would be something to think about, but the Cub fans are against.

I want the Cubs to be as good as they can be………….. forces us to be better…play better….thats what its all about…………………….. Manuel say he likes the home field……….look how tight the Yankee’s are……..that crowd is sitting right in their shoulders……… Its a weight that really won’t help the Phillies……….. if we can jump out on them………it may crush them……… To be honest…..it will help us play as a team………which is just what we need……..

Dang, you beat me to it. I just saw that. My followup query was going to be…

Does that mean that the Sox FO didn’t think there was a chance to sign him?

You gotta think Tony wants to stay in it one more year, he only needs like 30 more wins to become second all time, that’s gotta be tempting. I don’t see him pulling a Barry Sanders (my fav NFLer) and retiring short of records he could have easily achieved.

As a side note, was does this mean for the AP-FA? Does he realize how good he has it SL with TLR? Course, I imagine next year will be TLR’s last as manager (he may move into a FO somehere as he seems to enjoy being around baseball and wouldn’t want to become ‘irrelevant’ so to speak), the second winningest record will not be broken for a long, long, time as teams become more risk averse and won’t be hiring younger managers it would be hard to rack up the wins.

It probably means there was never anything to the rumor in the first place.

I’m sure Tony will be back after this run, the only possible exception being if Albert goes elsewhere and Tony thinks he was not respected by the org.

Here or somewhere else, I am sure TLR will get that 2nd winningest manager trophy. He has an empty space on his mantle right next to the 2nd losingest manager trophy he’s had for some time now. A mark even less likely to be broken.

R Ventura is a good selection for Chicago, Tony never would not be able to go anywhere else at this late stage of his career. He is way too stubborn to fit in anywhere but where he is at today. And no other organization will surround him with the players that he manages best. Mo has done an excellent job at doing just that.

Barry Sanders is a great story and quite the different kind of person. Barry was unique in that he played football to make money, not because he loved playing it. And upon making enough money for a lifetime he quit.

Albert will sign with St. Louis Birdman, there is no other way for it to work out. You dang skippy Albert knows how good he has it. I’ve went on record as saying Tony may quite possibly manage for two more years in St. Louis to finish up Carps career as his manager.

Even if Barry didn’t like playing he sure worked is youknowwhat off. I remember reading articles in high school about his training regimens. He had talent, but he also kept himself at the top of his game.

I don’t know if TLR or AP will be back, and I am not real concerned either way. It would kind of be refreshing to see the team go in another direction if it had to. I am optimistic because we will have Wainright and Berkman, two studs that also seem to be a positive influence, which is what I think every team needs, not a situation where favoritism divides a group that is working toward a common goal. It would seem pro atheletes (since some have egos that need stroked) would be a hard bunch to herd anyway, let alone when you have a situation where they are actively being divided among themselves.

It does seem like they finally have got the clubhouse dynamic right, after several years of trying. It seems reasonable to think that if the team could do this well without Wainwright, it could do alright with him and without Albert. Surely it won’t come to that.

Its not really a matter of Cluhouse dynamic. Winning is not about everybody liking one another.
We had structural problems with having lousy relievers (Franklin, Miller, Tallet) and not enough starting pitchers, and Theriot. We added Jackson, Furcal, and some relievers, bingo.

When they win, then they can talk about how much they like one another. But having the right skill set enables the personalities to get along.

A luminous thread………..one to remember………. one where WC’s rules of “creative” metaphor and grammatic improvisation inspired/ infected a whole group of otherwise “reasonable” individuals….
Let the angels sing an appropriate anthem…………….

Are we getting ready to lift this thing off…………see if she really flies…………..????